Steam-trap.



C. STIGKLE.

STEAM TRAP. APrLIoATIoN FILED JULY so, 1908.

INVENTOR. Cole Stckle. WW1/M I A TTORNE Y.

C. STIGKLE.

STEAM TRAP.

APILIGATION FILED JULY so. 1908.

935,426, Patented. Sept. 28, 1909.

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WHNESSES y 26 M 77 I I INVENTOR. MMM w l C012 Sti Okla. @M /AM A TTORNEY.

vatrias UniTE COLE STICKLE, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR TO THEOPEN COIL HEATER AND PURIFIER COMANY, F INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, ACORPORATION OF INDIANA.

STEAM-TRAP.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, COLE STioiiLn, of Indianapolis, county of Marion,and State or Indiana, have invented a certain new and y usefulSteam-Trap; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear,and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, in which like numerals refer to like parts.

The object of this invention is to improve the construction ot' steamtraps.

One feature of the invention consists in providing a chamber for abucket, the upper portion of which is surrounded by an annular chamberwith openings therefrom to the bucket chamber, said openings extendingslightly above the bucket when down and on a level with the top of thebucket when up, so that the condensation water accumulates in saidchamber and 'lows therefrom into the bucket chamber on the outside ofthe bucket and when the outside chamber is tilled to the level of thebucket, the water overflows into the bucket, and when suiiicient wateraccumulates in the bucket it descends and through proper connectionopens a valve through which the condensation water escapes from thebucket. After enough has escaped to permit the bucket to float, thevalve closes and the operation described is repeated, except that theoutside remains thereafter normally filled. This water and steamseparate in the small annular chamber and thus a large chamber over thebucket is rendered needless.

The details of the invention will be understood by the accompanyingdrawings and the following description and claims.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a central vertical section through thedevice with the bucket in its elevated position. Fig. 2 is a horizontalsection on the line 2--2, of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a section similar to thatshown in Fig. 1 with the bucket depressed and the valve open. Fig. et isa vertical central section through the valve and retarding chamber on anenlarged scale.

In detail is a casing to provide the chamber 11 for the bucket 12. Thereis an outlet 13 at the lower end that is normally closed. In the upperpart of the casing 10 there is an annular' chamber 14 having openings 15leading into the bucket chamber 11. These openings extend slightly abovethe top of the bucket when down and on a level with Specification ofLetters Patent.

Application filed July 30, 1908.

Patented Sept. 2S, MMS.

seran No. 445,064.

the top of the bucket when up and the condensation water enters thechamber 1t from the inlet 16.

There is a top or cap 17 for the casing 10 secured thereto by screwbolts 18 that has a safety valve 19. This top is centrally apertured andthreaded to receive the tube 20 that extends down centrally into thebucket 12 nearly to the bottom. The tube is open at both ends and hasnear each end horizontal ribs 21, and these ribs serve as guides vforthe vertical movement ot the valve stem 22 that screws into the bottomot t-he bucket.

There is a casing 25 secured on the top portion 1T by the bolts 2G andhaving a lateral out-let opening 2T and a top opening therein closed bya screw cap 2S. In a chamber formed by the casing 25 there is a tubularprojection threaded to receive the lvalve seat 3l that screws into thesame.

This valve seat has a relatively narrow port .practically tlexible andcause the proper operation of the valve when the steam trap may not bemounted truly vertical and regardless of any irregularities in detailsof construction and fitting. IVings 34E are secured to the valve thatlit very loosely in the tubular portion 30 so as to approximately guidethe valve to its port. Such arrangement permits the valve to properlycenter in the port and such centering is caused by the valve beingconical. The valve seat has an outer port or passage-way 35 that islarger than the portion of the port that is closed by the valve. Thisarrangement tor the mounting and guiding ot the bucket very materiallyreduces friction because of the small size of the rod 22 and its centralposition within the tubular passage-way 20 and its being guided by thetwo ribs 2l.

The valve seat 31 and tubular extension 30 are surrounded by a chamberformed by the casing 25 and top 28 which has an outlet port 37 thatleads into the outlet tube 27, this port 37 being reduced so that ittends to retard the movement ot the condensation water, and keep it frombeing toovrapid. An opening 40 leads from the lower part of the annularchamber 14 into the main chamber 11 for the passage of the sediment andthe like from said chamber 14.

In operation, the condensation water enters the annular chamber 14 andpasses out through the horizontal openings 15 into the chamber 11containing the bucket. When the water accumulates sufficiently in thischamber 11 outside the bucket, it overflows into the bucket, as shown inFig. 3. After the water has accumulated. in the bucket to the desiredextent, the bucket descends to the position shown in Fig. 3, thuslowering the valve 32 and opening the port in the valve seat 31 that hasbeen closed by said valve. Then the steam in the upper part of thechamber 11 forces the water out of the bucket through the tube 2O andthe ports in the valve seat into the chamber within the casing 25 andfrom that through the port 37 into the outlet 27, until the water hasbeen exhausted from the bucketor at least sufficiently removed to causeit to buoy upward and close the valve. The steam and water separate inthe annular chamber 14 and the steam enters the main chamber through theupper part of the openings 15 while the water enters the main chamberthrough the lower part of said openings. This maintenance of the waterand steam separate is a great advantage in the operation of the deviceas it causes positive action. The chamber 11 outside the bucket isnormally maintained full of water up to the top of the bucket and thesteam entering above the water does not spray t-he water or interferewith the column of water about the bucket but leaves it in itshomogeneous liquid condition. lVith the opening 40 from the lower partof the annular chamber 14 to the main chamber 11, said annular chamberwill be automatically cleaned of mud and sediment. The removal of thesediment occurs when the valve is opened and the condensation waterdischarges above. Then there is a temporary inrush of water into thechamber 14 which forces water out through the opening 40, and the watercarries the sediment with it thus cleaning the chamber 14 at eachoperation of the valve. The upper edge of the openings 15 should be on alevel with the upper edge of the bucket when the bucket is in its upperposition so that a portion of the openings 15 would extend below thelevel of the top of the bucket when in its lower position. lith thisarrangement the steam and condensation water which enter the openings 15cut across the upper surface of the body of the water in the outerchamber 11 against the top of the bucket so as to affect the buoyancy ofthe bucket or disturb the water in the chamber 11.

That I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A steam trap including an outlet, a bucket, means controlled by thebucket for opening' and closing the outlet, and a casing provided with achamber for the bucket having an annular chamber surrounding said bucketchamber into which annular chamber t-he condensation water initiallyenters and openings provided from the upper part of said annular chamberinto the bucket chamber that are on a level with the top of the bucket,substantially as set forth.

2. A steam trap including an outlet, a bucket, means controlled by thebucket for opening and closing the outlet, and a casing provided with achamber for the bucket having an annular chamber surrounding said bucketchamber into which annular chamber t-he condensation water initiallyenters and openings at the upper part of said annular Ichamber into thebucket that are on a level with the top of the bucket, and an openingalso from the lower part of said annular chamber into the bucket chamberfor the removal of sediment and the like from said annular chamber.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto affixed my signature in the presenceof the witnesses herein named.l

COLE STICKLE. lVitnesses MAUD NEILL, V. H. Lockwoon.

